Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0019204 (hepatocellular carcinoma)
 71,386 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Our study aims to make differential diagnosis by immunoelectrophoresis for some common conditions with elevated levels of serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP). One hundred and nine cases with elevated AFP levels were included in this study: yolk sac tumor (n = 8), hepatocellular carcinoma (n = 26), gastric cancer (n = 12), chronic hepatitis (n = 27) and normal pregnancy (n = 36). Lectin agarose gel electrophoresis, antibody-affinity blotting, and immunoreaction were used to identify the specific patterns of AFP in the respective conditions. The results showed that there were three possible bands: L1, L2 and L3. Yolk sac tumor produced a prominent L2 band and a light L3 band. Hepatocellular carcinoma produced a prominent L1 band and a light L3 band. Gastric cancer produced only an L1 band. Chronic hepatitis had a light L1 band and a pronounced L3 band. In pregnancy, the AFP pattern is similar to that of hepatocellular carcinoma. Immunoelectrophoresis is a useful method facilitating the differentiation of AFP origins.
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PMID:Immunoelectrophoretic differentiation of alpha-fetoprotein in disorders with elevated serum alpha-fetoprotein levels or during pregnancy. 749 83

Gonadal germ cell tumors continue to be the cause of diverse, diagnostically challenging issues for the pathologist, and their correct resolution often has major important therapeutic and prognostic implications. They are academically interesting because of the biological diversity exhibited in the two gonads and variation in frequency of certain neoplasms. The most dramatic examples of the latter are the frequency of dermoid cyst in the ovary compared to the testis and the reverse pertaining to embryonal carcinoma. Within the teratoma group, there is strong evidence that ovarian and prepubertal testicular teratomas are derived from benign germ cells, a pathogenesis that likely applies also to the rare dermoid cysts and uncommon epidermoid cysts of the testis. In contrast, postpubertal testicular teratomas derive from malignant germ cells, specifically representing differentiation within a preexistent nonteratomatous cancer. As expected, given the foregoing, teratomas in boys are clinically benign, whereas in postpubertal males they are malignant, independent of their degree of immaturity. On the other hand, immaturity is an important finding in ovarian teratomas, irrespective of age, although its significance in children has recently been challenged. It is usually recognized on the basis of embryonic-appearing neuroepithelium, which shows mitotic activity and apoptosis in contrast to differentiated neuroepithelial tissues, which may occur in mature ovarian teratomas. Rarely it is based on the presence of cellular, mitotically active glial tissue. Fetal-type tissues alone are not sufficient for a diagnosis of immature teratoma. Further differences between the teratomatous tumors in the two gonads are the relative frequency of monodermal teratomas in the ovary in contrast to the testis, where only one subset, carcinoids, is seen with any frequency. When uncommon somatic-type malignancies (usually squamous cell carcinoma) occur in mature cystic teratomas of the ovary, this is a de novo form of malignant transformation; similar tumors in the testis, a very rare event, represent overgrowth of teratomatous elements that originated from malignant, nonteratomatous germ cell tumors and, therefore, had previously undergone malignant transformation. Germinomas may have several unusual features in each gonad; these include microcystic arrangements that suggest yolk sac tumor, tubular patterns that mimic Sertoli cell tumor, apparent increased cytological atypia that causes concern for embryonal carcinoma, and prominent syncytiotrophoblast giant cells that suggest choriocarcinoma. Awareness of these variants, good technical preparations, the retained typical cytological features of germinoma cells, and the judicious use of tailored panels of immunohistochemical stains resolve these dilemmas in virtually all instances. Two aspects of germinomas are unique to the testis. Firstly, intertubular growth of small seminomas may cause them to be overlooked. Secondly, the distinctive spermatocytic seminoma occurs only in the testis. A newly recognized aspect of this tumor is the propensity for some to be relatively monomorphic, making them apt to be mistaken for usual seminoma or embryonal carcinoma, although the characteristic polymorphic appearance in some foci, absence of intratubular germ cell neoplasia, unclassified type, and immunohistochemical stains should prevent this error. Cytoplasmic membrane immunoreactivity for placental alkaline phosphatase and CD117, with usual negativity for AE1/AE3 cytokeratins, is helpful in the diagnosis of germinoma. The recently described marker, OCT3/4, a nuclear transcription factor, is especially helpful in the differential of germinoma and embryonal carcinoma with other neoplasms. Yolk sac tumor continues to be confused occasionally with clear cell carcinoma of the ovary. Glandular ('endometrioid-like') yolk sac tumors mimic endometrioid carcinomas; predominant or pure hepatoid yolk sac tumors cause concern for metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma or, in the ovary, primary hepatoid carcinoma, and solid patterns, especially in limited samplings, may be misinterpreted as germinoma. The usually younger age of patients with yolk sac tumors helps with the differential considerations with the nongerm cell tumors, as do other clinical and microscopic features and selected immunohistochemical stains. Choriocarcinoma is rare in both gonads, and those in the ovary must be distinguished from metastatic tumors of placental origin. Syncytiotrophoblast cells alone, admixed with other forms of germ cell tumor, still are confused with choriocarcinoma, but this phenomenon, which is much more frequent than choriocarcinoma, lacks the plexiform arrangement of different trophoblast cell types that typifies the latter. Mixed germ cell tumors (which may show almost any combination of components) are common in the testis but rare in the ovary. A separately categorized, rare form of mixed germ cell tumor seen in both gonads is the polyembryoma. It is perhaps the most photogenic of all gonadal germ cell tumors and is also intriguing because of its distinctive, organized arrangement of yolk sac tumor and embryonal carcinoma elements and recapitulation of very early embryonic development, even to the extent of having in its fundamental unit, the embryoid body, a miniature yolk sac, and amniotic cavity. These tumors, which are constituted by innumerable embryoid bodies, almost always contain teratomatous glands in minor amounts, and one way of viewing the polyembryoma is to consider it the most immature form of teratoma. Embryoid bodies are also common as a minor component of many mixed germ cell tumors, particularly in the testis, and the diffuse embryoma is another variant that has a particular arrangement of yolk sac tumor and embryonal carcinoma elements. Regression of gonadal germ cell tumors is a phenomenon restricted to the testis, for unknown reasons. These so-called 'burnt-out' germ cell tumors can be recognized by a distinctive constellation of findings, including sometimes minor foci of residual recognizable germ cell neoplasia, a well-defined zone of scarring (often having residual ghost tubules), associated lymphoplasmacytic infiltrate, intratubular calcification and, in about 50%, of in situ germ cell neoplasia.
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PMID:Germ cell tumors of the gonads: a selective review emphasizing problems in differential diagnosis, newly appreciated, and controversial issues. 1576 67

Yolk sac tumor (endodermal sinus tumor) is a malignant germ cell tumor characterized by AFP production, in which histologic foci similar to hepatocellular carcinoma occasionally coexist. We assumed a possible contribution of CCAAT/enhancer binding protein (C/EBP)-beta, a transcription factor implicated in the regulation of plasma proteins in the liver, to the regulation of AFP production and to the expression of other plasma proteins in yolk sac tumor cells because our immunohistochemical analysis revealed nuclear expression of C/EBP-beta in human yolk sac tumors. Overexpression of C/EBP-beta in a rat yolk sac tumor cell line, AT-2-TC, increased production of AFP and other plasma proteins, including albumin, alpha-1-antitrypsin, hepatoglobin, and transferrin. Liver-enriched transcription factors, including hepatocyte nuclear factors (HNF)-1alpha, -1 beta, and -4, were also induced. The induction of this protein expression was only evident in xenografts, where C/EBP-beta was phosphorylated and the activating isoform of C/EBP-beta was relatively predominant. These results indicate that C/EBP-beta plays a role in the production of plasma proteins of yolk sac tumors.
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PMID:Regulatory role of CCAAT/enhancer binding protein-beta in the production of plasma proteins in yolk sac tumor. 1592 79

SALL4 is a transcription factor that serves as a marker of yolk sac tumor. Yolk sac tumor and hepatocellular carcinoma share histologic, serologic, and immunohistochemical features. Previous studies have shown lack of SALL4 expression in hepatocellular carcinoma, suggesting utility in this differential diagnosis. Sixty-nine samples of hepatocellular carcinoma were retrieved from surgical pathology archives and used to construct 9 tissue microarrays. A germ cell tumor tissue microarray containing 10 yolk sac tumors was used for comparison. Extent, intensity, and pattern of nuclear SALL4 expression were assessed in each spot. Mean percentage of expression was calculated for each tumor and used during analysis. Optimal discriminatory extent of expression cutoff was determined by receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. Other potential discriminatory markers including Hep Par1 were also evaluated. Forty-six percent (32/69) of hepatocellular carcinoma and all yolk sac tumors revealed at least focal expression of SALL4. A unique punctuate/clumped pattern of nuclear staining was present in 94% (30/32) of hepatocellular carcinoma, whereas all yolk sac tumors displayed a diffuse finely granular nuclear staining pattern. A 25% extent of SALL4 expression cutoff was found to be optimal for the distinction of yolk sac tumor from hepatocellular carcinoma yielding a sensitivity of 100%, specificity of 92.8%, and a positive predictive value of 66.6% for yolk sac tumor diagnosis. The addition of Hep Par1 increased the specificity (99%) and positive predictive value (90%). This is the first report of SALL4 expression in hepatocellular carcinoma. Our finding should be taken into consideration in the differential diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma and yolk sac tumor. The unique punctuate/clumped pattern seen in hepatocellular carcinoma cases could be of further discriminatory value.
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PMID:Immunohistochemical expression of SALL4 in hepatocellular carcinoma, a potential pitfall in the differential diagnosis of yolk sac tumors. 2377 18